An artifact of the second law of thermodynamics is the ability to heat an interior space using a heat pump. Heat pumps compress cold ambient air and, in so doing, heat it to room temperature without v...An artifact of the second law of thermodynamics is the ability to heat an interior space using a heat pump. Heat pumps compress cold ambient air and, in so doing, heat it to room temperature without violation of conservation principles. To calculate the heat pump’s coefficient of performance, use the equation COPhp=QhW. A refrigerator is a heat pump; it takes warm ambient air and expands it to chill it.
